


Behind Lyrium Blue Eyes

by ShadowArtemis4456



Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: F/M, Mages and Templars, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Red Lyrium, Red Templars
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-09
Updated: 2018-10-14
Packaged: 2019-07-25 02:06:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,776
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16187846
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShadowArtemis4456/pseuds/ShadowArtemis4456
Summary: “What is your name?” The man standing before the cell asked softly.“A...Anera...” she whispered as her blue eyes met his golden ones.Anera is trapped. In both her own physical body and in her mind. After years of believing that she means nothing to anyone and that she is too broken to be loved, she just can’t believe that anyone would want her around let alone love her. But when she is thrown into Thedas and joins the Inquisition,albeit unwillingly, it becomes a well-known fact among the Inner Circle that she struggles with her inner and figurative demons, and the only person within the Inner Circle who can see her through this dark time in her life is none other than Commander Cullen Rutherford. But as fickle as fate can be, its put him in a race against time.What secrets lie behind those lyrium blue eyes she has? Only he can find out, but he better hurry, time is running out.





	1. Prologue

“Commander,” A voice spoke up as the spoken to man looked up at the use of his title, “The young woman has awoken and been moved to the stocks.” 

“Good,” the man who was the so-called Commander sharply nodded. “Knight-Captain, ensure that no one will bother her until I arrive. I will be there shortly to speak with her.” 

“Yes, Ser!” The man the Commander had addressed nodded and saluted before walking away to do as he had been commanded. A few days ago they had found a strangely dressed young woman running, like a madwoman, away from a demon like creature (which wasn’t odd to them as any sane person would run away from such creatures unless they were trained to deal with such beings). But because they had not seen the demon at first, when the Commander had called out to her to get her to stop running, she had frozen in place or, well, had been until the demon showed up and attacked her, causing the Commander to rush to her aid with several soldiers. She had been thrown away by the demon like she was nothing more than a discarded and unwanted child’s toy, and, of course, had started bleeding from her open wounds which had only been attended to after the Commander had mounted his horse, taken her into his arms, and had kicked the beast into a full blow gallop in the hopes of reaching the nearby town before she bled out completely. 

The healers, for their part, nagged at him like old ladies when they had heard what had transpired and had barred him, and anyone he would send to check on her, from the tent so she could heal in relative safety. Granted due to how deep the wounds had been, an infection had set in not a day later and because her body had been fighting it off, she had awoken several times but always in a fevered state. More then once they had called for a soldier or two, even the Commander himself so they could report on her progress of healing; and that one time he had been in there, she had awoken screaming from both the pain of the infection and from a fevered nightmare to which he and one other had been forced to hold her down because (as they found out the hard way) the last person who had tried to hold her down had been kicked halfway across the area while she had snarled something incoherent. After that, the Commander had stationed two men near the area where the healers resided in case she awoke like that again. It had taken two weeks for her fever to break, but now that she was healed, he had ordered her taken to a cell in the stockades so he could speak with her privately and hopefully get some answers out of her about who she was and where she had come from. 

Walking with purpose, the Commander soon entered the area the young woman was being held prisoner and the moment he reached the cell where she was being kept at, he noted that she was curled around herself in a tight ball and was watching him, fear shining brightly in her eyes, which he noted were a beautiful blue. The same blue of what called to him now, yet he ignored that call as he needed to interrogate this woman first. “What is your name?” He watched as she tried to make herself smaller as she shrunk back against the corner of the cell she was being kept in. At first, he thought nothing of it as he demanded to know her name again, this time letting his frustration sound in his voice at her lack of response and watched as she shrunk away from him even further. He let his frustration at his question remaining unanswered boil in his blood until the Knight-Captain walked in and saw how she was. 

“Commander!” He started as the Commander looked at him, when the Knight-Captain explained the clear signs of what the woman was showing, the Commander frowned as he watched his second-in-command kneel down and speak in a softer voice. “It’s okay, we just need you to answer a few questions lass,” He told her as the Commander watched her uncurl a bit before tightening back up. Her eyes gave away her inner struggle of wanting to trust the words of the Knight-Captain yet she was too afraid to speak or even move. “Answer the questions and I will see if there isn’t something I can do to get you out of here, okay?” The Knight-Captain asked of her as she watched him carefully before giving a slight nod. 

After the Knight-Captain left, the Commander turned back to the young woman and noted that she couldn’t be more then twenty-some years old. Following the example of his second, the Commander lowered his tone of voice, softening it in the hopes that she would respond that way. “Can you tell me your name?” He asked softly as she studied him for a moment, her fear ever present in her eyes. 

“A...Anera...” she responded finally as he heard the quivering sound of her fear in her voice. He carefully asked her the questions he had for her, but once he was finished he noticed that her eyes flicked to the entrance of the room and turning half-way he saw one of his two comrades standing and watching before she spoke. 

"She is being released," the woman stated as she walked forward and looked to Anera. "Lady Anera correct?" 

"Yes..." Anera wasn't sure how exactly to react to the woman but she seemed to be more patient than the Commander, who was now scowling. 

"Come with me,” But when Anera didn’t move The woman looked to the Commander and frowned. “Commander, I believe it would be wise for you to leave. I can see to Lady Anera’s needs.” 

Though the Commander felt disgruntled and upset at the woman’s request, he left the room. While he did, he shook his head and muttered something under his breath about his colleague’s trusting of the strange young woman now known to him Anera; but when he came to a stop just outside of the gates that lead to either the training grounds or into the heart of the town behind him he came to one conclusion: _Anera had to be watched._ And watch her he would.


	2. One

Anera shivered as the biting cold set upon her like a pack of wild dogs that were starving as she swiftly changed into her new outfit. Despite the fact that the other woman, who Anera had come to learn from her introducing herself as Sister Leliana (or Leliana as she wanted Anera to call her), had given her a small cabin with a washroom attached to it that had been repaired despite it being just outside of the town that was named Haven and had been given some warmer clothing. Anera had swiftly changed into the warmer outfit which was the same color as her other clothing. Once she was changed, she shivered again before a knock was heard at the door, "Just a moment!" She called out as she slipped her own favored boots back on, "Come in!" She called out as she looked around for her hair tie. 

"Lady Anera?" a familiar voice spoke up as she looked to see, not the Commander, but the person who she could now rightfully assume was his second-in-command. "I am Knight-Captain Rylen, or if you prefer, Rylen." The man smiled as she nodded. 

"I'll probably just call you Rylen. You may call me Anera as I'm no lady as I hold no titles and even if I did, I don't care much for them," She returned to looking for her hair tie and he smiled.  

"What are you looking for?"

"Hair tie or something to hold back this mess I call hair," Anera told him as he reached into a pouch at it his to produce some rawhide string.

"Come here, lass," He offered as she looked at him. Not sure if she should move or not, she hesitantly took a few steps over to him and he gently turned her around to begin putting her hair up into a ponytail. Once he was done, he led her outside of her cabin, nodding to the two guards at her door and she frowned. 

"So the Commander doesn't trust me?" Anera asked as she followed Rylen towards the town. 

"It's not that he doesn't trust you, he's, well I should say we've, just never had someone with your situation before so he's just unsure of you is all. Give him some time to get used to you being around and before you know it he'll be leaving you alone."

"I hope your right," Anera sighed as Rylen looked to her with worry. 

_So do I, Anera._

****

Once her tour of the town was complete, and Rylen had made sure she had eaten and had become well acquainted with him. He led her to the frozen lake and move a ways away from her so she could think everything over for a few moments. But as he stood there, he heard her humming and watched her as she continued to hum. "Rylen! Why aren't you standing closer to her?!" The Commander's voice snapped at him, but Rylen was now enticed by the song Anera was singing, which soon captured the Commander's attention, as the first words came haunting over to them.

" _Are you going to Scarborough Fair? Yesterday holds memories in time. Remember me to the one who lives there. She once was a true love of mine,"_ Anera began as Both Rylen and the Commander listened to her voice. _"Tell her to think back upon younger days, yesterday holds memories in time, and seek yonder crossroads where we parted ways. Then she'll be a true love of mine,"_ Anera smiled as she returned to humming, yet still, both men were trapped by the sound of her voice as she returned to singing, _"_ _Tell her to follow the path to the shire, yesterday holds memories in time. For there she'll find her heart's true desire, then she'll be a true love of mine,"_ She continued humming for a bit, before returning to the song, _"Tell her to come to the old willow tree, yesterday holds memories in time. Where spirits of lost love yet whisper to thee "Thou art still a true love of mine". Tell her to gather three lilies of white, yesterday holds memories in time... to place at my headstone, beneath the moon's light...Then she'll be a true love of mine. For ever she'll be the one true love of mine..."*_ Neither Rylen nor the Commander dared to even breath despite how badly their lungs cried out for them to do so. The way her voice had carried each note could almost be called magical, yet both could tell that it was a song for a lost lover. 

But once night had fallen and she was laying in bed, Anera thought over everything that had transpired only a few years before she had come here and as she closed her eyes the memory came to her in a dream. 

_"Recruit Anera." A tall man dressed in armor approached Anera who was looking over a few papers._

_"Ser?" She asked as her gaze shifted from the papers to the man as she stood at attention._

_"It has been brought to my attention that here in a few days you are up to take the Rite and join our brothers- and sisters-in-arms?"_

_"That is correct, Ser," Anera nodded as the man studied her for a few moments then smiled._

_"Good, you have proven yourself time and time again both in your studies and in combat. In two days time, I will arrive back here to take you and two others to receive the blessing of the leader of our order," The man smiled before he reached out and rubbed his hand through her hair. "You've worked so hard, baby girl, your mother and I are both very proud of you."_

_"Thanks, dad," Anera smiled back at the man who was now revealed to be her father, then, both slipped back into their profession ways and she spoke again, "Is that all Ser?"_

_"That is all, Recruit." Anera's father turned to leave as she saluted him and watched him walk out before someone else came walking in._

_"Glad to see you two are still getting along," A familiar masculine voice spoke up as Anera turned to see her lover come walking in._

_"Hello to you too," She smiled as she turned back to the paperwork she had been working on before her father had come walking in._

_The newcomer wrapped his arms around her waist as his lips briefly touched her neck, "Hello my love," They spoke for a few moments and Anera turned to kiss him._

_"So how is it that a Paladin Recruit ended up catching the attention of a Templar Recruit?" She asked as the young man smirked._

_"I'm not entirely sure, maybe it was your wit and beauty that enticed him," He smiled as they stood and talked a bit more before the bell for dinner rang._

_"Come on, I hear dinner is supposed to be really special tonight."_

_"Oh?" Anera raised a brow as he nodded, and with that, they walked out of her room and towards the dining hall, laughing and talking the whole way._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song Anera is singing should be recognizable to those who listen to Nox Arcana, but if you don't this is his(?) version (my personal favorite version) of Scarborough Fair on his album Winter's Majesty.  
> Link to the youtube video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sgbo2QWLBzI


	3. Two

Anera was walking around about a week later when she spotted the Commander barking at a recruit who was struggling a bit to grasp the concept of battle, and thus Anera watched for a few moments from afar before looked towards her right where she noticed movement coming from, "Is he always yelling?"

Rylen smiled and chuckled, "Seems that's all he does."

"Mind doing me a favor?"

"What do you need me to do?" Rylen asked as Anera pointed towards the recruit.

"Tell her and the three others who are struggling to meet me in the field later tonight. I can help them," Anera told him as he raised a brow. "Don't worry Knight-Captain, I have my ways. if you want you can watch."

"I plan on it," he smiled as he went to do as she had asked. With that, she waited until Rylen had spoken with the four she had requested and thus went to wait for night to fall so she could meet the four.

Once night fell, she went out to the field and waited for them to show up, which they were a bit slow to do. Once they were all gathered, they looked to Anera who studied them carefully before speaking. "It's no wonder the Commander barks at all of you," Anera shook her head, "Looks like I have a lot of work to do."

"If I may?" One of the recruits started as she looked towards him and nodded, "Why did you request us?" 

Anera smiled, "A very good question. But the answer is simple, maybe not to all of you but to me it is. I watched as the Commander barked at all of you, and can see he's giving up hope on any of you learning to be anything more than weak links and will most likely dismiss you from "His" army. But what he is not aware of is that I, too, have trained soldiers and where I come from, I have the highest success rate of raising what many would consider being "wastes of time" into the best damn warriors and archers alive. By the time I'm finished with all of you, the Commander will be hard pressed to find any flaws in any of you."

"So why is the Knight-Captain here?"

"He's just going to watch," Anera told them, "Now pick up your shields and swords and pair up." With that, Anera and the recruits launched into the training and Rylen could only watch with amazement as she taught them what the Commander apparently couldn't. Waving a scout over, he sent the man to find the Commander who wasn't pleased to be dragged away from his paperwork. When the Commander arrived and stopped at Rylen's side, his second nodded towards where Anera was with the four who the Commander was ready to give up on and watched with arms crossed as she barked out order after order. When one made a misstep, Anera would correct that person carefully, encourage them to continue and they would return to their training with a renewed vigor at how Anera was training them. The Commander frowned at the fact she had called for the four without asking him first, but as he watched he did have to admit that he was impressed with how well she was handling them. "Hey Knight-Captain, toss me that shield and sword!" She called out as Rylen threw the shield first, which she caught rather well, then he tossed the sheathed training sword, which she caught and unsheathed as she threw the sheath aside as she called for the recruits to stop and all turned towards her as she began walking towards them. "Now that you four have the hang of my training regime, it's time to take this up a notch."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean: I want all four of you to come at me at once. I want all of you to use the knowledge you have learned about each other to come up with a battle strategy on the fly to attempt to defeat me," Anera raised the shield and prepared the sword, "Now, _**COME AT ME!**_ " She ordered them as they did as told. Granted they were getting better, but they were nowhere near able to defeat Anera. Once they were done, Anera smiled at them. "You all did well!" She praised them as they looked towards her with frowns. 

"But we weren't able to beat you..."

"No you weren't, but that's to be expected. "Perfection through practice", those were the words my own trainer and my father said to me when I was nothing but a recruit. The more you train, the better you will become. Keep those words in mind, and before you know it you'll be some of the best damn soldiers around."

"Can we do this again tomorrow?" One of the recruits asked as Anera smirked. 

"Take that up with your Commander, who if I recall joined us just a few moments ago," Anera pointed towards where Rylen and the Commander stood. The four recruits looked towards their Commander who was frowning but he thought on the question for a moment. 

"I will think on it," he told them before uncrossing his arms and walking forward, "I want all of you to return to your tents and get some sleep. We will see if any of you actually learned anything from this tomorrow. Dismissed!" Once the recruits saluted him and had thanked Anera for what training she had given them they left while discussing what they learned. "You-!" The Commander turned on Anera who suddenly threw the sword into the frozen ground and looked at him without flinching.

"First off: I'm not one of the damned recruits so don't you dare start yelling at me like I am, _Templar,_ for I am far better than any of your kind in combat. Second: What I just started will help those four as the years go by," Anera started as she met his eyes and stared him down, "Lastly: Unless you know for a FACT that you can defeat me in combat, don't bother telling me how I can or can't help your recruits." With that Anera flung the shield down and looked back at him, "I've been training recruits for over three years and I have the highest success rate on anything you could ever achieve." Turning Anera began walking away as Rylen began howling with laughter, while the Commander stood there watching after her with his eyes wide and mouth slightly open. 

"Well isn't she just a spitfire! I like her!" Rylen managed before he began laughing again as the Commander stood there dumbfounded and trying to figure out what had just happened.


	4. Three

_Whispers followed Anera wherever she walked within the gilded halls. These weren’t the whispers of the usual gossip, no, these were whispers that foretold of the coming war. A war that Anera wondered if any of them could ever truly be ready for. Stopping by a window, she looked outside at the beautiful valley as well as saw part of the ring that made up the towering mountains with the snow-capped peaks that surrounded this gorgeous and secluded valley. Though those who lived, trained and worked in this valley (which was dominated by only one building that housed thousands of people), wore what many modern people would consider “medieval” style armors and used swords, shields, daggers and other “medieval” type weaponry, those who lived here were also trained to use modern weapons, though that type of training usually called for those undergoing it to train far beyond this paradise-like valley as those who many would call generals demanded this valley remain untouched by such weaponry. “Anera?” A voice questioned as she turned to see her soon to be husband walking up, “Are you alright? You’ve been kind of distant the past few days and I’m worried about you.” He said knowing it was wiser to jump straight into the point with her._

_“I’ve just been doing a lot of thinking,” She told him as he leaned against the wall to look outside. “War is coming and from the whispers and hushed tones...I just have a feeling this war will not be in our favor whichever side our leaders choose to join...”_

_“What has your father said on it?”_

_“Nothing, he refuses to speak about it.” She watched her lover turn to her; his brown, somehow almost nearing amberish, eyes looking towards her at that moment. His chocolate colored hair was slicked back thanks to a mixture of beeswax and something else that his mother always seemed to somehow make into a pliable “hair-tamer” as Anera like to tease the man about it._

_“Even with you?”_

_“Even with me. Hell, he won’t even speak with my mother about it and she was already worried about him to start with,” Anera shook her head as her lover looked back outside._

_“We’ll figure it out soon enough, my heart,” he said as he reached out and, taking her hand into his, gave her hand a gentle, yet reassuring squeeze. “Anyway, how is the training of those “worthless” recruits going?”_

_“Of all the things you have to ask me, the recruits is the first thing you ask me about?” She teased as he smirked. Shaking her head she launched into how things were “going” and he listened with rapt attention._

****

Anera awoke from the dream with a stabbing sorrow in her heart. It had been months since she had last dreamed of that “peaceful” day, so long, in fact, she could barely recall what had happened shortly thereafter. Looking towards her left hand her gaze settled upon the plain “white-gold” band that rested there. Running her thumb along the band for the hundredth time, she thought of the man she had been married to and then become the widow of and felt another stab as she remembered once more that their dream of one day having two children to carry on their legacies would no longer happen. “I wish I could have saved you, my love. I wish it had been me that died so you could live on and fulfill the dreams we once shared.” She felt tears pricking at her eyes and shook her head.  It would do her no good to cry now, what had happened, had happened and there was no going back to reverse it. He was gone and she inwardly knew he would have wanted her to move on, yet she couldn’t. Standing, she swiftly dressed in her daily outfit and headed out of her cabin, greeting the usual two guards who stood there while she was in the building and began heading towards the tavern when she heard someone stop as she crossed their path. 

“Lady Anera,” Anera didn’t bother to stop, not for who she knew to be the Commander. She really wasn’t in the mood to deal with his shitty attitude this morning, not after the dream she had just had. “Lady Anera! If I may?” 

Stopping and turning on a dime, Anera snapped at him. “What do you want?” She watched him step back as he finally registered that she was in a bit of a foul mood. When he went to apologize for bothering her, she shook her head and looked away. "Don't. I should be the one apologizing."

"What for?" The Commander questioned in return as he watched her seemingly deflate from her mood. 

"For snapping at you. Twice over," Anera told him as she kept her gaze away from him. Out of the corner of his eye, he noted that she was using her thumb to rub at where he could rightfully assume a ring once sat. "It is...I shouldn't be snapping at you unless there is a reason and since I've been here, you have given no reason for me too. I apologize." 

"Who was he?" The Commander inquired as she finally looked towards him and realized that she had been absent-mindedly rubbing the ring in his presence. 

"A good man," She told him softly, "who was killed due to my own stupidity." 

"I'm sorry..." The Commander rubbed the back of his neck as he realized he had asked a question that obviously hurt her to answer.

"There's no need to be," Anera shook her head. "It's been... almost two years since that day."

He looked towards her with sorrow. He could see that the death of her husband still haunted her, and it was understandable with how fresh it still was. The Commander looked away then, he was now fully unsure of WHAT to say, but soon cleared his throat. "I..."

She looked towards him and met his amber eyes, eyes that heavily reminded her of her former lover. "It's fine. Anyways, what did you originally need, Commander?" She inquired as he shook himself mentally. Swiftly asking her if she wouldn't mind training the same four recruits with a few others, to which she happily agreed, The Commander also promised to have her put on the payroll as he would not allow her to go without some form of payment for the services she would be providing, granted she didn't care either way but she decided to entertain him by allowing him to do this for her. However a week later, as Anera was training the recruits, a scout came running up to her with a request from the Commander for her to head to the war room as soon as she was able. Thanking the scout, she dismissed the man and called out for the recruits to stop. "I have been called to the war room and thus I am calling an end to your training for the day." Several "awws" and "buts" were put forth by the recruits and suddenly a new voice spoke up. 

"I can watch them while you are away," Anera turned to see Rylen walking up and smirked as the recruits begged her to let him do it.

"Alright," She agreed as a cheer went up, "return to your training," She told them as they immediately set out to obey, "make sure they don't kill each other would you, Rylen?" She asked of the man who laughed. 

"Don't worry Anera, I will." He then waved her off and she made her way to the war room, where arguing was clearly heard just before she entered.

Upon entering Anera spotted someone that she hadn't seen since her arrival to Thedas and laughed as she called out to him, "By the ass hairs of the gods! Dylan, is that you?" 

Everyone turned to see Anera smiling as the man she had just called out smiled the minute he spotted her. "Anera! Hell's bells it's good to see you!" Dylan smiled warmly as she walked forward and they grasped hands before hugging. 

"Does Hell even have bells?"

"If it does I'd imagine they would be completely out of tune." 

"Every musician's worst nightmare."

"Right?"

"Lady Anera, if I may?" The Commander spoke up after the two had greeted each other. Turning to him, Anera nodded. "You know him?"

"Know him? I grew up beside this dumbass," She waved to Dylan who protested being called that, "That and he was my second for a long time." 

"I know almost all of her dirty little secrets," Dylan smirked but she grinned at him.

"Just remember I have twice as much dirt that can be said about you then you could ever have on me," She returned as Dylan frowned. 

"No you don't," he frowned as she turned to him and gave a wicked smirk.

"Oh really? How about that one time when you dragged my husband to the tavern and-"

"NOPE!" Dylan started as he suddenly began to glow with full-on embarrassment. "Got the message....I'll behave..."  He huffed as she continued to smirk. "Anyways! Before I forget, I've been looking for you. Your Father sent me to inform you that the Council of Six has decided, in your favor, to not only to allow you to return to the Order but as a show of good faith, they have also named you the new Paladin-Commander and, of course, your father, who is now the High Paladin, has also sent me to deliver to you a brand new set of armor along with a sword and shield." 

"Really?" Anera was taken aback at that. 

"Yes. The High Inquisitor, himself, stated that after interrogating the prisoners, he discovered that no matter what they tried you could not be shaken into saying anything about the Order despite the long hours of torture you had been put through."

"Well... fuck, it must have been a green moon then because I never would have thought they would do that."

"It was a four against two." 

"That's even rarer!" 

"I know right?"

Leliana spoke up then, "What is this Order you two speak of?"

"Right," Anera frowned, "I forgot about that, I don't think my new station will mean much here on Thedas, there Dylan. As for the answer to your question, Leliana, the Order that Dylan and I are speaking of is officially called Order of The Crescent Sun," with that Anera and Dylan both launched into what the Order was and what they did. "...Within the Order, there is a total of five factions: the Army, the Inquisition, Templars, War Tribes, and the Paladins. The Council of Six, which has one person from each Faction, rules over the Order. Those positions are of the Council are: Advisor, High-General, High-Inquisitor, High-Templar, Warlord-Chieftan, and High-Paladin. They are all selected from their respected faction, with the Advisor being the only one to be selected from any faction and must be voted in by the Five others."

Dylan spoke up then, "The Council is a good way for each faction to keep the others in check. But the Order itself was formed many, many, many years ago due to an ancient war which called the five factions together."

"But that is another story for another day," Anera smiled as she thought of how the Order came to be. "Each Faction within the Order has their own respectable symbols and abilities, but the symbol of the Order as a whole can always be seen somewhere on the shields and armor," Anera told them, as the Commander filed all that away while Leliana and another looked to each other with interest. 

"What abilities do paladins have?" One of the four other women asked as Anera turned to the dark haired woman who seemed very eager to learn more.

"All paladins have four basic abilities and three unique abilities. I'm sure before too long you'll see the four basic abilities that Dylan and I share as well as the three unique abilities that we don't share." After a while, Anera and Dylan were dismissed for Anera to go put on her new armor while the Commander and his colleagues talked over everything they had learned, only to come to a shared conclusion. They would honor Anera and Dylan's Orders decision and, after calling her back into the room, they asked her if she would be fine with their decision and she agreed with it. "...However seeing as how the Commander is an Advisor, and thus is a higher rank then I am, I would, for all terms and purposes, have to obey him." The Commander was perfectly fine with that. 

"What about Dylan?" the Commander asked as Anera shrugged. 

"As I've said, I grew up with the man, he's actually stated before that he's perfectly happy just being my second. He will obey whatever command he is given be it from you or me. Need him to train the recruits? He'll do that. Want him on patrol? He'll do that too. Need someone to babysit a prisoner or two? You can count on him. Have a Templar whose giving out trouble? If you or I can't get to them, you can bet he will." Anera told them with a smile. "Dylan is my go-to guy. Loyal to a fault and protective as hell, but if an order goes against the moral code of our paladin training, that is the only time that man will disobey."

"Moral Code?"

"We who are Paladins will not attack a person who has caused no harm to anyone else. We also have this huge weak spot for children and animals so we won't harm those two groups either. Unless it's an animal gone mad, but that's the only exception to the rule." The Commander thought that over for a moment. To him, it was an excellent moral code to have and he began to wonder if she would be willing to start a version of the Paladin Faction of her Order here on Thedas, but that was a question for another day. For now, Anera was dismissed and those in the war room had ALOT to think over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't worry all, Anera's mood will start to get darker here soon as more of her memories will be revealed. I'm just "playing around" with her right now because I'm evil that way.


End file.
